Name some dominant forces in the universe. What do you come up with? Gravity? Entropy? Love? Hope?
Or Algorithms.
They tell us what’s “interesting”, and along the way they tell us where to go, what to watch, what to eat, which way to drive home. They can guide us into routinized ruts which deepen to canyon depths over time. Is this you? Coffee, wake up, scroll, commute, (more coffee?) scroll, work, scroll, gym, Netflix, scroll, sleep, repeat.
Eventually we can be so far down we can’t even see over the edges.
Whether we think of ourselves as artists or not, we can all create things. We can sculpt our lives daily, from creating our breakfast to our bedroom layout. But when we’re scrolling we are bombarded with imagery. So many photos that we don’t linger on any of them. Senses overwhelmed, they just fly by.
The great Sir Francis Bacon, one of the founders of scientific method and considered the father of empiricism, would not have approved. In his words, which I find interesting from such a scientific mind:
“The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery.”
But there’s no time to consider the mystery when we’re receiving a fire-hose of a feed.
The Algorithms guide us away from mysteries, and into ruts. But I think there’s a force that can battle and defeat the algorithms.
Curiosity.
The Rut is mindless. Curiosity is mindful. And you never know what will come from it. All you need to do is wonder, every so often, about what’s outside The Rut, and suddenly you’ll perk up. Taking a little bit of control back in your life. Whether it’s something seemingly ordinary or a thing that is truly puzzling. Either way, you never know where curiosity might lead, if you slow down and let it in.
Where does this lead?
Is it meaningful?
Is there something interesting right around the corner? (Have you slowed down a bit, yet?)
Who am I, really?
What about other people? What about him?
And finally. What is The Answer?1
In my very first Glimpses and Visions Letter I talked about the staying power of curiosity in choosing a career or life path, as contrasted with passion. I still believe that.
Try replacing at least one of those scroll sessions. Find some time to get curious. You might like it.
Until next time,
Note: I’m on an airplane soon that will take me far away from home through the month of February. I’m not sure what will emerge via this letter series over the next four weeks. It’s a mystery.
Limited Edition Prints for Sale
This is an Extremely Limited Edition of prints for the series called Seas and Skies. I’ll make just five 16x24” archival, Numbered Prints (and two Artists Prints), each with associated certificate of authentication.
These are going fast and *Closing Curtain is Sold Out*
Bring peace and joy to someone’s 2025 with these. And yours, by the giving.
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Visit: www.dobkinphoto.com
I’m asking “What” is the answer, not “who”. We know who.
Mystery for sure.
Can you photograph an algorithm? No, so they don’t exist. At least for a photographer like me